Combination free wheel and roll-on lift



May 30, 1933. F. W, PERRY 1,911,294

COMBINATION FREEWHEEL AND ROLL-ON LIFT Filed Nov. l, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet l @MMM May 30, 1933 FQ w. PERRY COMBINATION FREEWHEEL AND ROLL-ON LIFT 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 MMM/l,

F. W. PERRY Filed Nov. l, 1929l COMBINATION FREEWHEEL AND ROLL-ON LIFT ww Q v Y mi VIII/1111171111 w yi May 30, 1933.

Patented May 30, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT .OFFICE FRANCIS W. PERRY, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MEN'TSfTO EDWIN L. WIEGAND, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA COMBINATION FREE WHEEL AND ROLL-ON LIFT Application led November 1, 1929. Serial No. 404,005.

adapted for use in connection with service stations and garages where it is desirable to gain access to the under-rigging of the vehicle.

Devices of this kind are known to those skilled in the art as lifts and generally speaking are of two types. One type of lift is known as the roll-on7 lift in which the vehicle is driven onto a track or runway and then moved to an elevated position. In this type of lift, the wheels of the vehicle rest on the track or runway. The other type of lift is known as the free wheel lift in which the vehicle is elevated and lifted bodily in such a manner that the wheels may be rotated.

The main object of this invention is to provide a combination roll-on and free wheel lift which embodies the advantages of both of the types of lifts hereinbefore referred to.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combination roll-on and free wheel lift which comprises comparatively few parts which are readily assembled and disassembled and which is well adapted for production at comparatively low cost.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a roll-0n lift onto which a vehicle may be driven and which is provided with an auxiliary lifting device which may be operated when and if desired to lift the vehicle bodily in such a manner as to permit one or more of the vehicle wheels to be rotated.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a roll-on lift which includes a track onto which the vehicle may be driven and which is provided with an auxiliary free wheel lifting device which is carried by the track or runway in such a manner that it will not constitute an obstruction to free access to the under-rigging of the vehicle when not in use.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a combination roll-on and free wheel lift which comprises a track or runway onto which a vehicle may be driven and means for elevating the track or runway together with an independent free wheel lifting device which may be actuated upon the downward movement of the track or runway to sustain the vehicle in such a manner that at least one of 'the vehicle wheels may be rotated.

Further and more limited objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds aud by reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a View in side elevation of my improved lift; Fig. 2 is a top plan view; Fig. 3 is a detail view partly in elevation and partly in section and illustrating the details and construction of the free wheel lifting device; Fig. 4 is a top plan view illustrating the details of l construction of one ofthe free wheel lifting devices; Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a View partly in section and partly in end elevation disclosing thel free wheel lifting device in the inoperative position; Figs. 7 and 8 are detail sectional views illustrating the means for rendering the free wheel lifting device operative or inoperative; Fig. 9 is a fragmentary top plan View illustrating a further detail of the free wheel lifting device. I

Referring now to Figs. l and 2, the lift consists essentially of a pair of runways l and 2 connected by a suitable cross head 3 which is mounted on a cylinder 4. The pair of runways may be reinforced by suitable spacers 5 and G, if desired. The ends of the runways 1 and 2 are provided with hinged ranps 7, 7LL and 8, 8Ll which serve to guide the vehicle wheels onto the runway. The mechanism for elevating the runways forms no part of this invention and may be of the type shown in my co-pending application Serial No. 256,848, filed February 25, 1929, for Power lift for vehicles.

Disposed between the pair of runways l and 2 are a pair of cross heads or beams 9 and l0 which serve to support the free wheel lifting devices. As these two devices are substantially identical in construction, only one will be described in detail.

Each of the cross beams 9 and 10 consists of a pair of angle irons 11 and 12 which are connected at their opposite ends by means of angles 13 and 13a which have overhanging portions which are adapted to engage over the side walls of the runways 1 and 2 as shown most clearly in Fig. 6. The angle irons 11 and 12 are connected at thelr central portions by means of bolts 11a and 12n which extend through sleeves 1lb and 12b respectively. Secured to each of the angle irons 11 and 12 adjacent the ends and on the under side thereof are clamps or brackets 14 and 15 which engage with the under side of the runways to hold the cross beams in place. Resting on the angle irons 11 and 12 is a block 16 in the form of an I-beam. Pivot-ally secured to the block 16 are a pair of legs 17 and 18 which are pivotally secured thereto by means of pin 17a and 18a which extend through sleeves formed on the legs. The block 16 is providedv adjacent the opposite ends thereof with slots 19 and 20 in which are secured chucks or blocks 21 and 22 which are pivotally and slidably secured in the slots by means of pins 23 and 24. The chucks or blocks 21 and 22 are shaped as shown most clearly in Figs. 5 and 6 and are adapted to engage under the axle of a vehicle in a manner to be hereinafter described.

Pivotally secured to the legs 17 and 18 are a pair of pawls or links 25 and 26. The pawls 25 and 26 each consist of a pair of links or bars which are connected together at their opposite ends by means of pins 27, 27n and 28, 28, The pins 27a and 28"l serve to pivotally connect the pawls to the legs while the pins 27 and 28 project outwardly from the pawls and are adapted to engage in notches 29 and 30 respectively formed in the upper edges of the angle irons l1 and 12 in a manner to be hereinafter more fully described.

lith the parts in their normal position, the legs 17 and 18 are disposed between the angle irons 11 and 12 as shown most clearly in Fig. 5. Pins 31 and 32 are inserted through openings provided in the angle irons 11 and 12 and serve to normally hold the legs in the position shown in Fig. 5. The chucks or blocks 21 and 22 also occupy the position shown in Fig. 5 with the pins 23 and 24 disposed in the ends of the slots 19 and 20.

In the normal operation of the device, the lift is moved to its lowermost position with the tracks or runways 1 and 2 engaging the ground or floor surface. The vehicle is then driven or rolled onto the runways and the runways elevated so as to give access to the underside of the vehicle. Should it be desired to lift the vehicle so that the wheels may be rotated, the pins 31 and 32 are removed from the position which they occupy in Fig. 5. When the pins are removed the legs 17 and 18 will assume a vertical position. The pins 31 and 32 will then be inserted in the openings 31n and 31" so as to secure the legs in this position. The lift is then lowered until the legs 17 and 18 engage the supporting surface whereupon the runways will recede from the wheels and from block 16 as shown in dotted lines,l Figure 3,"and allow the pawls 25 and 26 to come into position to enga-ge the notches 29 and 30. The legs 17 and 18 are of such length that when the runway is moved to its lowermost position, the

legs will engage the ground or floor and the chucks or block 16,'if it is desired to utilize the chucks, will be in position to engage the axle of the vehicle and sustain the vehicle off the runway so that the wheels may be rotated. Should it be desired to further elevate the vehicle and at the same time permit the wheels to be rotated, the lift will be further actuated to elevate the runways whereupon the pins 27 and 28,v being now engaged in, the notches 29 and 30, will cause the vehicle to be elevated through the medium of the links 25 and 26 with the wheels free to turn. The runways can then be elevated as far as desired with the wheels ref maining free to turn.

Hingedly secured on. each of the plates 11 and 12 adjacent the notches 29 and 30 are angular plates or clips 34 and These plates maybe swung to the position shown in Fig. 8 so that the overhanging portions of the plates cover the notches 29 and 30 and prevent the pins 27 and 28 from entering the notches. lVhen it is desired to lower the vehicle so that it will rest upon the legs, the lift is lowered to its lowermost position, whereupon the pawls 25 and 26 assume the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The plates 34, 35 may then be moved to the position shown in. Fig. 8. Now when the lift is again raised, the pins- 27 and 28 ride over the plates 34 and 35 and engage the cam surfaces 36 and 37 of the plates 34 and 35 and move the plates to the position shown in Fig. 7. As viewed in Fig. 9 the pin 27 is moving toward the bottom of the sheet and engages the cam surfaces 36 and 37 and forces the clips outwardly away from each other. The cross head 16 will then occupy the position shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 and the chucks may be moved to the position shown in these figures. The pins 31, 32 are removed and the legs returned to the position shown inv Fig. The pins may then be returned to the posivtion shown in Fig. 5 to hold the legs in the uppermost position. The free wheel lift is in inoperative position and the runways may be lowered to permit the vehicle to be removed therefrom.

It is of course understood that either one or both of the free wheel lifting devices may be-used as desired. It is also to be understood that various changes may be made in the details of construction as well as in the manner of arranging and securing the various parts in place without departing from the spirit of my invention. It is also to be understood that the embodiment of the invention disclosed is merely illustrative and is not to be considered in a limiting sense as my invention is limited only in accordance with the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A combination roll-on and free-wheel lift comprising a pair of supporting members onto which a vehicle may be driven and means for elevating said supporting members, means carried by said supporting members and adapted to be actuated upon the downward movement of said supporting members to support the vehicle in such a position that one or more of the Wheels may be rotated, said means including legs slidably mounted between said pair of supporting members and a plurality of pawls for rendering said legs operativeV under predetermined conditions.

2. A combination roll-0n and free-wheel lift comprising a track onto which a vehicle may be driven, means for elevating said track and means operable upon downward movement of said track for elevating the vehicle with respect to said track to a position such that one or more vehicle wheels may be rotated.

3. A combination roll-on and free-wheel lift comprising a track onto which a vehicle may be driven, means for elevating said track, means carried b said track and adapted to operate upon ownward movement of the track to elevate the vehicle with respect to said track to such position that one or more of its wheels may be rotated, said means comprising a device slidably mounted between portions of said track and having a plurality of legs and means for rendering said legs operative or inoperative.

4. A combination roll-on and free-wheel lift comprising a track onto which the wheels of a vehicle may be driven, means for elevating and lowering said track, and means carried by said track and readily movable to a position to engage between portions of the vehicle other than the wheels and supporting means fixed with respect to said track, whereby the vehicle may be held in elevated position when the track is lowered.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aix my signature.

FRANCIS W. PERRY. 

